Blog

As football winds down for Christmas, we look back over our first year as a club.

Wrexham Foresters FC was months in the planning, and came into existence in 2025 starting with five grassroots football teams. We end the year with those five teams, a futsal programme, a high-flying women’s senior team, and some young girls players starting training with us.

We have no intent to stick at this point in 2026, we will push on with at least new girls and young kickers teams within grassroots, whilst I know that futsal and seniors have ambitious plans of their own.

As a grassroots unit, we have learnt an awful lot this past few months. About what it takes to setup and run a football club, navigating the bureaucracy and politics of local football organisations, and trying to access funds and grants supposedly made available for supporting youth football.

We should be proud of what we have achieved. Ysgol Plas Coch have been forever accommodating in being Foresters grassroots’ primary host and the facilities we have there for players, young spectators in our Community Room, first aid and catering facilities, and Foresters for Families community support and food bank (thanks Eithan!) is perfect to support our core principles of youth football and our local community.

Our teams and players in grassroots have pushed on, worked hard, and represented the club across the leagues and cups. As you’d expect, we’ve seen mixed results, but we’ve not received a single complaint from opposition or leagues about our players. We’re incredibly proud of how hard our players have worked, how they continue to do so in the right spirit and with a smile on their faces.

Wrexham Foresters was founded on principles of fairness, sporting competition, and making opportunities for players of all backgrounds and in 2026 we plan to continue and expand on this.

If you’re interested in joining Foresters Grassroots, or would like our support or advice, then please do get in touch – we’re always happy to help.

None of what has been achieved this year would be possible without financial support. To date, all of ours has come from private sources and fundraising. Adam Alfi being our primary supporter from day (minus) one, to whom we continue to be grateful. You will also have seen our sponsors on our kits, website, and social media posts. Sponsors are vital to our ability to run and we can’t thank them enough.

Something that is unique (to my knowledge) in grassroots football is our support and fundraising for a local charity, Hope House Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices. Our grassroots and seniors kits feature the Hope House logo on the sleeve and the grassroots coaches, players, volunteers, and parents have raised funds for Hope House in 2025 with a sponsored walk round Llandegla and the Chirk Dark Run.

Finally, I want to extend my thanks to all those people who have supported Foresters Grassroots in 2025. The coaches of our teams dedicated their time and expertise to help our players improve and learn so much more beyond football. Our volunteers in the committee, on a match-day, and at training are critical to the club functioning and the grease that keeps the wheels turning. We have had so much support from others in maintaining the facilities at Ysgol Plas Coch and on our summer fun day, I thank all of you too. Parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, siblings, friends, and guardians of players also deserve my thanks and those of the players – thank you, and I would love it if you are able to continue to support the club and the players in 2026.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Wrexham Foresters Grassroots.

Andrew

P.S. Not too many mince pies, fixtures start January 3rd!